We spent only two nights in Venice and during our one full day we played a game of “let’s get lost,” in which we all followed one kid at a time wandering through the streets and alleyways for a half hour or so. Extra time and treats were given for finding cool piazzas, churches, historical monuments, and any nice photo ops – which were many. Even the adults got a turn, steering our family across the Rialto bridge and through a couple more sestrieres, and by mid-afternoon we had worked our way all the way across town. So we took a water taxi back, then wandered along the Riva degli Schiavoni until the sun set over the Canale Della Giudecca. This serpentine walk involved several stops to eat, rest, and warm up.

The day before we’d taken a water bus from the train station along the Grand Canal to the Rialto then walked a more circuitous route than necessary with all our luggage. We unloaded, then visited St. Mark’s square in the evening. The morning we left, we took another water bus from St. Mark’s back to the train station, which is a different route from Giudecca to Canale de Santa Chiara back to the Grand Canal. So, here’s video slideshow depicting our wanderings…